


Merry Christmas, Love

by LadyBee



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: A big white Stark Christmas, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 15:42:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13193256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyBee/pseuds/LadyBee
Summary: This is my gift to my Secret Santa, the amazing @horcrucxs (Sapphire_Blue). I hope you'll like it and I wish you a happy New Year, full of blessings and happiness.Prompt: Modern AU with both jon and arya coming back home from universities for christmas and jon is a little bit in love with arya but he is terrible at emotions so he’s very awkward and arya is worried that jon has contracted some sort of std (she has met Ygritte, and against her better judgment, has heard about her sex stories that involve threesomes) so she keeps giving john pamphlets, and jon is too awkward to correct her.





	Merry Christmas, Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sapphire_blue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphire_blue/gifts).



She had been watching from her window her mother bossing Rickon and Sansa around to prepare the house for Christmas. There was an unofficial competition between the neighbors for the title of best Christmas decoration, and gods forbid Catelyn Stark of not being number one.

It was an amusing ritual, although Arya would rather save herself the trouble of moving trees, snowmen and lights around, especially when she hadn’t been home for nearly a year.

Robb would arrive late in the afternoon with Jeyne and baby Rickard. Sansa’s boyfriend would be coming for Christmas Eve and even the Reeds would joying them. It would be a funny event, but none of these mattered since Arya heard from her father that Jon decided to joying them in the last minute.

“I guess he broke up with that girl. Rhaegar is abroad doing whatever he does for a living and the boy certainly didn’t want to stay alone during Christmas.” Her father had said that morning as he read the newspapers while sipping his coffee. Arya could swear that she had seen smoke coming out of her mother’s ears at the mention of Jon’s name. “C’mon, Cat! It’s Christmas and we are the only family he has when his asshole of a father isn’t here. It should be like the old times!”

“That’s exactly why I don’t like the idea. Next time you ask me first.” Her mother snapped back and Arya tried hard not laugh at the petty argument. It was no secret that her mother hated Jon for unknown reasons, but Arya suspected it had something to do with the time she kissed Jon under the mistletoe when she was eight.

Christmas was starting to sound like fun and she had the sudden urge to buy Jon a gift and give her own eyebrows some attention before he arrived.

The red head girl was out of the game...ABOUT DAMN TIME!

Last time Arya visited Jon at Dartmouth she had met the girl. She couldn’t say she had liked Ygritte, especially not after a few shots of tequila. That girl had some tales to tell and Arya wouldn’t be surprised if Jon got some sort of STD at that point.

That was a thought for another time, though. She was probably being paranoid and she had much to do before he arrived.

Robb arrived first with his family and suddenly Arya had her nephew demanding her piggy back rides all over the house and following her everywhere, which made it impossible for her to even look decent. Unfortunately, once the doorbell rang announcing Jon’s arrival she had a toddler sitting on her lap making a mess of his mashed fruits.

Rickard was trying to feed her mashed bananas while making airplane sounds when she heard Jon’s laugh at the kitchen’s door.

“I guess he thinks you are too skinny.” He said it in a teasing tone before getting closer enough to kiss her cheek. “Yum...You taste like...Baby food or something. Not bad.” He mussed Ricky’s hair, making the boy giggle.

“JON!” The boy shouted while waving his arms so Jon would pick him up.

“Here we go! You are nearly in college, young man! You’ve got so big!” Jon said it before kissing Ricky’s chubby cheeks fondly.

“Welcome home.” Arya finally greeted him. “If I had any idea you were coming I would have picked you up at the airport.”

“No need, little cousin. I drove all the way here. The road was a nightmare, but I made it in time for Christmas.” He said it awkwardly as Rickard tried to grab Jon’s hair. His eyes were avoiding her even if she was standing right by his side. “Which room I’ll get this time?”

“You’ll have to share it with Rickon and Bran, unless you prefer to stay in the basement.” Arya said. She would offer her own room, with a comfortable bed and her naked body to keep him warm, but Jon was just too proper to consider it.

“Any chance of you sneaking an inflatable mattress down there? That couch nearly broke my back last time.” He grinned at her and Arya felt her heart skipping a beat. Even if his voice sounded off, there was still a warmth to his words and it never failed to give her stomach a flurry.

“I’ll see what I can do about it.” Arya said while trying to conceal her blushing face.

There would be a day in which she would get over her puppy love, but that wasn’t the day. One word from him and her clothes would drop to the floor faster than a sneeze, but Arya had to admit that Jon knew how to ruin the mood whenever he called her little cousin.

Santa Claus didn’t exist, but if the old man could grant her a wish Arya would write a thousand letters asking for Jon naked in her bed, or just for a kiss if she was feeling humble. A girl could dream after all.

Jon moved around the house as if he belonged there. He was truly part of the family and it was almost ridiculous how much the boys liked him. Having him in the house made her feel at home and Arya could finally say it was Christmas.

They spent a few hours chatting with Robb and Jeyne and in the mean time Jon managed to put Rickard to sleep. Only them Jon was free to settle down in the basement and rest a bit.

Arya helped Jon to carry his luggage to the basement. The place was used to accommodate guests every now and them, but sleeping in the couch was a guarantee of a backache in the morning. Arya suspected that her mother renewed that room to keep Jon as far away as possible from the rest of the family whenever he came to visit, but it never stopped the Stark kids to flock to the place so they could catch up with their cousin’s news.

Bran would probably bring the TV and the PlayStation to the basement layer so they could play all night long. Maybe she would joying them later, if Jon stopped acting weirdly around her.

He barely looked at her since he arrived and words had been scarce as if he had suddenly become shy around her.

“Is everything all right?” Arya finally asked while helping him to inflate the mattress. Jon lowered his head at that.

“It’s taking too long to inflate.” He answered in a clear attempt of changing the topic. Arya rolled her eyes.

“Don’t give me this shit.” Arya nearly growled in answer. “Is it Ygritte? I don’t know what the fuck happened between you, but I knew she was bad news from the start.”

“It’s not Ygritte and I really don’t want to talk about it now.” Jon’s voice came out in defensive tone. “I’m glad I just arrived and I want to have a nice Christmas. Maybe later we can talk about it.”

“Since when you avoid answering me? I don’t know if you noticed, but you are even avoiding looking at me and I don’t get why.” She insisted. “Have I done something wrong? Is it about Thanks Giving? I thought it would be fine if I dropped by to visit you.”

Jon finally looked at her and it was almost possible to see the wheels turning inside his head. He was thinking about an excuse or worst...A lie.

“I’m really tired and I’ll need to be drunk to have this conversation.” He sighed. “It’s nothing to do with Ygritte. I am the one with a problem that I don’t know how to solve. Maybe later I can explain, but right now I need to think about my life choices.”

“Fine.” Arya replied “If you ever decide that I’m worthy of your attention, you know where to find me.”

“Don’t be like this, Arya.” His voice was worn out and frustrated, but she didn’t bother to look back at him. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that I really don’t know how to say it out loud. Not to you.”

“Well...It has never been a problem before. Unless you got some nasty STD from her, I really don’t know what could be so difficult to tell me.”

“You do have an extraordinary imagination.” Jon sighed in frustration.

Arya didn’t bother to answer him back.

It was very much unlike her to turn her back at Jon, but this time she honestly hurt by his behavior. She could sympathise with his break up and sudden need of privacy, but that had never been a thing for them. They were friends. Best friends with an absurd level of intimacy, but suddenly it didn’t feel this way and Arya was lost without something she had always taken for granted.

Things had changed during Thanks Giving, she could tell. They had spent a lovely time together until Ygritte came back from trip. Arya had done nothing against her, but the girl positively hated her. Jon tried to be diplomatic about it, but things must have gone wrong. Could it be that he blamed her for his break up?

Things simply weren’t right between them, but if Jon truly believed her to be the pivot of his break up why would he bother to travel all the way back to Winterfell in time for Christmas? Even her father and Robb had noticed something off about the way they were avoiding each other.

Ricky, that lovely and innocent child, must have felt it too. He had been trying to engage both Jon and Arya in all of his games, which only served to highlight the awkwardness between them.

“What the hell is going on between you and Jon?” Her father finally asked after a day trying to figure out what might have happened to justify their behavior. “I thought you guys were as close as twins and suddenly you are avoiding each other like the plague.”

“You should ask him. I don’t know what happened. I know that he doesn’t want to talk about it with me. He told me that much.” Arya answered sourly as they looked at her mother’s master piece of a Christmas decoration.

“Maybe he finally realized it.” Her father’s answer was enigmatic and airy as they usually were whenever Ned seemed to be lost in his deep and secret thoughts.

“Realized what?!” Arya questioned exasperated while her father simply smiled at her with fondness.

“If you haven’t noticed it yet, than I’m not spoiling the surprise. Just give him time and...Try not to be a force of nature like your aunt.” He muffled a laugh before kissing her forehead. “It will be a lovely Christmas.”

Well...It was indeed a lovely Christmas or at least Arya started feel this way after all the wine she drunk before dinner.

Jon kept looking at her from a distance while she talked with Jojen and Bran about their plans for New Year’s Eve, but didn’t dare to join the talking. Arya noticed that he had been drinking whiskey the whole night while Robb eventually gave up following him.

He looked slightly angry and also uncomfortable with her distance and enjoyment of the party. In another scenario Arya would have included Jon in their group, but she was just too hurt about his behavior to consider that. Both of them were drunk at that point and it would either make things clear or blow up the tension barrel. Arya couldn’t help thinking at that point that everything in her life would be easier if she wasn’t in love with him since she learned how to speak his name. Jon either had realized that and didn’t want anything to do with his young cousin, or he was positively disgusted with the idea.

Ricky made a mess of all the colorful papers used to wrap his presents and by the end of the night he was so exhausted that he slept on Arya’s arms. The party didn’t last much after that. Jojen and Meera decided to call it a night shortly after, leaving behind a very disappointed Bran.

“If you want to kiss Meera properly, this might be the best chance you’ll ever get.” She heard Jon’s voice suggesting it to Bran as her cousin pointed to the door entrance and the fact that Meera was right under the mistletoe branch.

That brought up some memories to her, but this would be a thought for another time. Arya was more interested in seeing what Bran would do about that and her brother didn’t disappoint her in this.

Bran crossed the room with determination in his heart and probably too much wine in his system to even care about what Jojen would say. He took Meera by surprise as he held her face within his hands and gave her a kiss worthy of a romantic comedy movie.

Rickon was laughing his ass out somewhere in the room, while Robb and Jon clapped their hands and saluted Bran’s bravery. Their father looked at the scene with amusement while their mother seemed to be mortified. Arya was proud of her baby brother and she wished someone else in the room would have Bran’s courage to do the same to her for once.

Things would work just fine for Bran and Meera. They had been flirting with the idea of a relationship for a long while, but both were to shy to actually say a word about it. Now things were set in motion and as the house got silent and sleepy, Arya stood in a dark corner of the room just enjoying the quietness.

Sansa had gone to Willas’ place to see his parents. Bran and Rickon had gone to bed along with her parents. Robb and Jeyne were busy trying to keep Ricky in the cradle. In the end of the night Arya was alone, enjoying the silence and digesting what have gone wrong between her and Jon.

“Will you stay here all night?” A familiar voice called.

She turned her head lightly just to face Jon standing a few steps away from her seat. He was wearing his old gray sweater, the one she had given him before he went to Dartmouth. There was a bittersweet taste to it, as if Jon was somehow trying to say goodbye to her and still torturing her with memories of a simple and dear past.

“I guess this is none of your business.” Arya replied sharply, making him sigh in frustration.

“It wasn’t my intention to make you so angry the other day.” He said apologetically.

“How can I feel any different when you suddenly come back and avoid me like the plague? I don’t even know what I’ve done to deserve this and you refuse to talk to me.” There was bitterness in her voice and neither of them was used to deal with such a delicate mood.

“I’m the one to blame for this.” His voice sounded constricted and pained somehow. “Since Ygritte left, things have been difficult for me to cope with.”

“If you love her so much, than why are you here and not with her? You decided to come over for Christmas after years of absence. I really don’t get why you did it if what you really wanted was to stay with her.” She snapped back bluntly. “Why are we even having this conversation is beyond me.”

“Well I had my life pretty much figured out until you showed up at my door on Thanks Giving. That’s why we are having this conversation.” His answer sounded harsher than she was used to.

“Now it’s my fault that you broke up with her. You said that the problem was you, just to change your mind when it was convenient.” Arya snorted angrily at him.

“I am the problem and if you haven’t realized why I decided to come here instead of going after her than I really have no idea of what to do about this.” He sighed.

“Why don’t you give me a straight forward answer instead of making me guess what it’s wrong with you?”

“Maybe because I don’t know how you’ll react to what I have to say. Maybe because I don’t know how everyone else will react to it and because I feel guilty about it. I should be the reasonable one, but since Thanks Giving I don’t know what to do with my life.”

“Say it already! I’m done with you walking in circles to avoid my questions. Just tell me what’s going on and let’s see what happens next, Jon! Just don’t torture me like this.”

“The reason why Ygritte left was because your visit made something quite clear.” Jon’s voice sounded shaky and unsure. “I wasn’t in love with her any more. I don’t even know if I’ve ever been in love with her, but I know that I’m in love with someone else.”

Arya rose from her seat while trying not to cry in front of him. Why did he even bother to come to her then? To tell her that she would never have a chance? That she would always be his little cousin and nothing more?

“Good for you. If you excuse me, I think I’ll go to bed now.” She said as she passed him by.

Suddenly she felt Jon’s tight grip on her arm, preventing her from leaving without any further explanations.

“I haven’t finished yet.” He said gently. “There is something that I need to say and I need you to listen. Gods! I need you to answer me something important.”

“What do you want? Do you want me to congratulate you?! Go to your new girl and tell whatever you have to say to her, because I’m done trying to figure out what is going on here.”

“I already went to her. I drove for miles just to get the chance to spend the holidays with her. I just don’t know if she feels the same way about me and this is why I’m here. I’m asking you if you feel the same.”

“What?” Arya was startled for a second as Jon looked at her face with a mischievous grin.

“I wish I had Bran’s courage to kiss you like he kissed Meera. I did it once when we were kids, but I don’t think it counts as a real kiss.” He closed the distance between them and Arya felt his arms gently embracing her. For a second it felt like a dream. A good dream. “Then I figured out that I don’t want excuses to kiss you. I don’t want to blame a stupid mistletoe or anything else for something that I want to do. The only question that remains is...Do you feel the same about me?”

“I don’t even know why you have to ask the most stupid question of all.” She answered with a joyous smile on her face before pulling him to a kiss that had been anticipated for years and tasted like Christmas.


End file.
